Celebrate the Little Victories

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By: Mary Pat Baldauf

Last week was a tough one. My hip hurt. We very suddenly had to put our cat Pikachu Mantradown. A little leak turned into a flood in our bathroom. I came to work Friday utterly smileless and unmotivated. The best thing I could say was that I was there, but that was all. I even slipped out and had a fried bologna and cheese sandwich for lunch, hoping it would perk me up. No such luck.

When I came back from lunch, I saw a great tease on Twitter: “When you don’t lose a sock in the wash, and 10 other little victories to celebrate today.” I clicked the link, and I’m glad I did. The gist of the article was basically this: It’s easy to focus on what went wrong in the day, but making an effort to focus on your wins will pay off, and could eventually become second-nature. It goes on to give 11 great examples of little victories, including:

  • When you’re out of toilet paper — and there’s another roll hiding underneath the sink.
  • When you don’t lose a sock in the wash.
  • When the seat next you in the movie theater is empty, and you get full, uninhibited use of the arm rest.

And with a new frame of mind, I added a 12th, which actually happened as I was running lunch errands:

When you forget to feed the parking meter and see a meter reader beside your car, but return to find that somehow you didn’t get a parking ticket.

Check out the article and the accompanying “Morning Mantra” slide show. It may help turn your frown upside down. (It did mine!)

Fixing It With Fitness

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By: Shannon Shull

In some of my past blog entries I have focused on the benefits of moving our bodies. Whether for our mental or physical health, it’s just a no-brainer that physical fitness is good for our bods, inside and out. To me, it has always been a given that when done correctly, any kind of physical fitness can be beneficial. Until recently, though, I never understood just how beneficial fitness can really be.

For any of you who have read my blog entries or know me personally, you know that one of the things I do with my busy life is instruct Zumba. Being a Zumba and Aqua Zumba instructor is how I attempt to stay in shape and keep my heart healthy. Plus, my commitment to teaching helps to hold me accountable to moving my body in the first place! If I did not have to be at the gym to instruct a class, I would stay too busy to ever take the time to actually work out.

Fitness fixes!

What I did not consider when I started instructing these classes, was the incredible mental benefits that would come with the exercise. I am a true testament to the fact that moving your body on a regular basis can help you deal with stress. Over the past couple of years, my life has been overwhelmed with stress and change – mistakes, life lessons learned, enormous challenges, and a constant journey for strength, faith, hope and forgiveness. Heaven forbid life is ever easy or we make all the right decisions, eh? Let’s just say, I’m quite surprised I have any sanity left at all! But I can say, with confidence, that the physical activity I get through instructing Zumba is one of the main things in my personal life that has kept me from going off the deep end.

Fix it with Fitness article in Health MagazineAll that being said, I recently came across a fabulous article in Health Magazine, which focuses on the fact that a good workout can indeed be the best medicine for a whole lot of things! This particular article touches on challenges ranging from lower back pain to hot flashes to dealing with a racing mind, and then gives real fitness solutions that target each problem. Some workouts are better than others in helping to fix different problems. If you have a specific ailment, or several ailments, I can almost guarantee that there is probably some sort of fitness exercise out there that can specifically target your problem. You just have to take the time to do the research to find your personal fitness fix-its.

As I’ve mentioned before in one of my blog entries, which I’m very proud of, it’s a great idea to add a mental health check-up to your “To-Do” list.  As a society, we tend to put such an enormous focus on our physical state instead of on our mental state. Let’s face it – looking healthy on the outside is no guarantee that you’re healthy or happy on the inside. And the truth is, they go hand and hand. Our physical and mental wellness partner together, whether we want them to or not! If we just remember to recognize how the two work together, we can see both day-to-day and long-term benefits.

Research proves that our self-esteem soars when we work out. I can certainly attest to that on many levels. I can walk into the gym dreading having to teach a Zumba class because I’m so stressed out, feeling hopeless and wonder how I’ll ever make it through the first song, much less a whole hour of leading a class. But, it never fails. I walk in to see the amazing, smiling faces of these precious people eager to move and have fun and I’m given the strength to step up to do my job. And then low and behold, the more I move, the more endorphins run through my body, resulting in a return to sanity. A sweet release occurs when you get a good workout. I walk out of each class with a renewed sense of self, physically and mentally.

I have even discovered that on those lovely days when I’m battling intense monthly period pains and the last thing I want to do is move, the workout I get while teaching a Zumba class ALWAYS makes me feel better. It never fails. I can walk into a class wondering if I will be able to move adequately due to the menstrual war raging within my body, and then I walk out refreshed and amazed that the cramps have subsided. It literally feels as if I danced a bit of peace into my insides. Crazy, but it works every time!

Fix period pains with fitness

I can certainly say that I have discovered how I can fix some things with fitness. It may not be a magical cure-all that will always keep stress away or keep me from having a period, but it darn well helps keep the stress and pain at bay, and contributes to helping me stay somewhat securely strapped into the roller coaster ride that is my life.

Don’t forget to add that mental check-up to your “To-Do” list! Check out the Health Magazine article and check out some of the fitness solutions to some everyday health problems. And by all means, do your own research and make an effort to discover what workouts can help to fix your ailments!

Please add a comment to share any of your own personal experiences in which you have been able to ‘fix it with fitness.’

Southwestern Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

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By: Brady Evans

Do you ever feel like you’re on “Candid Camera” or the modern equivalent, “What Would You Do?” One day my husband and I were standing in the parking lot of a bog-box store, staring at each other in silence. You see, I was unloading the cart while he was analyzing the receipt and it didn’t take long for us to realize that there was a gap of nearly $70 between what we’d purchased and what we’d been charged for. The error, as the Monopoly saying goes, was in our favor.

I’ll just be honest here, there was a slight sense of thrill at the ‘great deal’ we had just fallen into. Then, we went through the same scenario we did when Lowe’s neglected to charge us for a $100 area rug a few years ago:

What if we had a child with us?  What message would we send our kid? But we don’t have a child with us. Lucky us! Bad thoughts, bad thoughts!  It shouldn’t take the pressure off an audience to do what’s right.

We marched back in the store with our ‘free’ stuff and our much too short receipt. My husband cut in line by going straight to the cashier instead of standing in the aisle, crammed between magazines and candies.

“You didn’t charge us for everything!” he whispered into her ear.  He probably wanted to let her correct the mistake without the manager hearing the ruckus.  She sort of looked down her line of people who were unloading their unnecessary plastic objects onto the conveyer belt. She sized up their annoyance at this sudden wrench in the quick-check-out system.

“Don’t worry about it – just go,” she said.

WHAT?

Yep.  At this point we were waiting on John Quinones to come waltzing out.  He didn’t.  My husband and I exchanged fleeting looks of “It must be our lucky day!” before we made our way to another cashier, stood in line again, and paid for the items that had been given to us – twice.

Then at work I had the same “this can’t be happening” thing happen.  No, no one gave me $70 worth of vitamins and lounge chair cushions, but I did feel like I was being set up on a reality TV show.  You see, I had the most delicious lunch waiting for me in the refrigerator. Just as I had done all week, I placed my tupperware into the refrigerator at 7:45am and returned for it at 11:30am.

I opened the fridge, shuffled around the containers and water bottles within it, thinking that the reason I couldn’t find my sweet potato was because it had been shoved to the side.  I asked my colleagues if they had been nice enough to heat my lunch for me, and they quite frankly said, “No.  We aren’t that nice.”  A search party ensued.  The tupperware was found with 90% of its contents absent. Just a few smidges of sweet potato and some wandering black beans revealed its former contents in the sink with some soap and water.

Sweet potato skins
At least the jerk who stole my lunch and ate it attempted to begin the cleaning process, right?

I thought stuff like that was a legend. I didn’t think people would actually eat my home-cooked meal out of my tupperware – a meal that no one would mistaken for his own – and then brazenly leave the evidence in front of me.

My feelings were really, really hurt. Honestly, I almost cried. Then I got angry. And, naturally, next I was sad. I suppose these are the stages of grief.

The person who left me hungry yesterday enjoyed a tender sweet potato stuffed with beans, corn, bright and sweet tomatoes, just a hint of cheese, and some flecks of cilantro. The person who chose my lunch over my coworker’s Jimmy Johns sandwich probably regrets it, though, because now she’s dreaming of a repeat performance of this meal just as I was dreaming of it all day yesterday, only to be let down when it came time for lunch.

Sweet Potato Skins

Southwestern Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (adapted from Pinch of Yum)

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
  • 1.5 cups frozen corn
  • 1.5 cups rinsed black beans
  • 1 large tomato, chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 tsp chipotle pepper powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the sweet potatoes for 45-60 minutes. Alternatively, you could prick them a few times with a fork and cook them in the microwave for 12 minutes, rotating them halfway through, until tender.
  2. While sweet potatoes are baking, place corn in a heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with no butter or oil. Let corn roast for several minutes before stirring. Let it roast for a few more minutes before stirring again. Continue this for about 10 minutes, until corn is browned and roasted on the outside.
  3. Set aside in a small bowl with the black beans.
  4. Saute the onion in nonstick cooking spray over medium heat until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic and chopped tomato and cook 1 additional minute. Add to beans and corn mixture.
  5. Remove sweet potatoes from the oven when tender. Let cool for 5-10 minutes.
  6. Cut the sweet potatoes in half. Scoop the flesh of the sweet potatoes out, leaving the skins intact. Leave 1/4 ” of sweet potato flesh in skin for sturdiness.
  7. Mash sweet potatoes pulp with the shredded cheese and seasonings. When well-mixed, gently stir in the black beans, roasted corn, sauteed onions, and cilantro.
  8. Stuff the skins and top with additional shredded cheese. If desired, broil for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Random Thoughts on Being a Mom

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By: Crissie Miller Kirby

CrissieI’m wide awake and really should be cleaning, but I felt compelled to write something this morning about being a mom. Being a semi-writer, sometimes I HAVE to get the words out.

I never, ever knew that being a mom would be the complex job that it is. I never knew that I could love two people, who are so totally different, so very much.  I also don’t think I ever knew I could get as angry at two people, who are so totally different, so very much, AND to LOVE them, still, when they do make me angry.

I remember times growing up when I wanted kids, then I didn’t, then I did. When I found the person I thought would be my one and only, I wanted to have kids. I wanted a boy and a girl. Well, God (thankfully) saw fit that I did not need a daughter, but instead needed two sons. See, God knew the trials I would face and he knew that, for me, boys would be best. He knew that the ponytails and the wardrobe issues and the high pitched squeals would be far too much for this mama to handle on her own. God knew that the constant motion of two little boys would, at some point, overwhelm my desire to crawl under the rock that felt like it was crashing down on me.

Before I was a mom, I never knew that I could have my heart broken, but still be able to love so much.

I never thought that being pooped on, peed on, and puked on would be something I would just brush aside and deal with instead of totally flipping out, but, I do.  It’s amazing how, for some people, just giving birth turns you into a sort of pseudo-nurse who just handles bodily functions, like they were nothing. (Notice, I say some – my mom, LOVE HER, to this day does NOT handle blood well at all. Thank GOD for grandmothers who could handle those types of things.)

You know how, growing up, your parents always seemed to give the “This hurts me more than it hurts you” speech? Yeah, before I became I mom, I thought that was a load of garbage. Now that I’m a mom, I know it’s true.  Whether it’s a time out, restriction, or spankings, it seriously hurts you as a parent.

For all of the single moms (and dads, too, who have to be a mom at times), I’m sorry I never thought enough about you or how hard your job was/is. I’m sorry I never respected what you do, day in and day out, until I had to stand in your shoes. Being a single mom was not in my plans, but we’re here and we are surviving and thriving, even if the house looks like a tornado went through it every. single. day. I never knew that you could completely throw caution to the wind and just do whatever you had to do, just because of your kids. Now that I’m a mom, I get it. Come hell or high water, whatever needs to be done, WILL be done, regardless of whether there is any support from the other parent or not.

Before I was a mom, I was never going to have tubes put in my kids’ ears, give them medication for ADHD, or let them sleep in the bed with me.  Then, I had kids who had horrible ear infections and I begged for tubes, and you know what? They’re the greatest thing since sliced bread. Then I had a kid who was smart as a whip but had the attention span of a gnat, and I just wanted him to reach his potential, so I gave him medication, and you know what? He just made straight A’s on his progress report. Then, I became a single mom and realized that sometimes my own body’s need and desire for sleep was just as important as everybody else’s and it was easier to throw the kids in the bed with me rather than getting up to put them back in their own bed in the middle of the night. Now, instead of lamenting the fact that, oh, my God, my kids sleep in my bed sometimes, I smile when I wake up and see their beautiful, sweet (and quiet!) angelic little faces. Now that I’m a mom I also totally understand the whole Jekyll and Hyde thing, a sleeping kid versus a kid just beginning to wake up. . . But, I think I am one lucky woman to have such beautiful little boys.

Before I became a mom, I didn’t realize that I had the power to take away someone’s hurt or bad dreams. But now I do, and that is such an amazing thing.  Me?  Supermom?  Conquering monsters and bad guys with a single hug or kiss?  Really?? Yep, that’s me.

These are not nearly all of the random thoughts I have on being a mom, but they are really all I have time for, because I must go wake the sleeping dragons from their slumber in my bed.

Memorial Day: Much More Than a Reason to Cookout

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By: Mary Pat Baldauf

If you’re like me, you’ve been counting down the days until the long Memorial Day weekend. Now that it’s here, you probably have some great plans for this three-day weekend: a cookout with family and friends, a trip to the lake or the beach, or perhaps just a little extra rest and relaxation. But before we slather on the sunscreen or fire up the grill, let’s take a few minutes to learn more about Memorial Day, a day of remembering those who paid the ultimate price in the service of our country.

Vintage Memorial DayThe holiday was first widely observed on May 30, 1868 when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. It is thought the date was chosen because by that time of the year flowers would be in bloom all over the country.

In 1873 New York became the first state to officially recognize the holiday. While approximately 25 cities claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day, in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson bestowed that honor to Waterloo, New York because they had been conducting an annual community service regularly since May 5, 1866.

Memorial Day continued to be Civil War-focused until WWI when observances expanded to honor all those who had died in America’s wars. It is different from Veteran’s Day, which honors all veterans living or dead.

In 1971 Memorial Day was declared a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday in May, thus beginning the tradition of federal three-day holiday weekends.

Memorial Day etiquette is to fly the flag at half-staff until noon, then fully raise it until sunset.

To ensure Americans do not lose sight of the sacrifices soldiers have made, “The National Moment of Remembrance Act” was signed into law in December 2000. On Memorial Day at 3 p.m. local time, Americans are encouraged to pause wherever they are for a minute of silence to remember those who have died in service to the nation.

Many people wear red poppies on Memorial Day to honor the dead. This tradition originates from the 1915 poem “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae.

Some of the biggest Memorial Day parades are in Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C.

How are you celebrating Memorial Day? What are you doing to remember those who have lost their lives defending our country?

Dreams

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By: Shannon Shull

You sleep… you dream… and for those of us who actually remember our dreams, we are keenly aware that dreaming can be mysterious and mind blowing at times. Our dreams can take us to some pretty wild places, in some really crazy situations, and with some very random people. There are all sorts of dream decoding tools out there, but who’s to say what our dreams really mean? We can only guess at the meaning of our dreams. Sometimes it is clear why we experience certain dreams, while other times it is truly baffling where our dreams come from.

To sleep perchance to dreamWhy this topic? Well, I am a VERY vivid dreamer. I have been all my life. Through childhood and up into my college years, I was a sleep walker and sleep talker. My dear family and bestest buds have all sorts of tales they could tell about me! In my adult years, I’ve even discovered that I’m a sleep-emailer, too! Yes, one night a couple of months ago, I actually emailed myself in my sleep – I don’t remember a thing! Apparently, I picked up my iPhone and sent myself an email, which was short and perfectly typed, yet I had no clue what in the world I was talking about!

When I was pregnant with my two babes, WOW, talk about crazy dreams. When you’re already an incredibly crazy dreamer and you add pregnancy hormones to the equation, watch out! Early on during both of my pregnancies, before the ultrasound that told us what we were having, I had dreams about the sex of my child. Each dream was as clear as could be, and after I woke up I knew in my heart what I was having. Each time I was right on – truly amazing!

In my many years of dreaming, I’ve even developed a true connection to random people and even celebrities because of specific dreams I’ve had. For instance, I have a lovely and special bond with Brad Pitt and Garth Brooks. Yep, I do. Sure, they have NO clue about our unique connection, but it’s there! Though I’m from the South, I’ve never been a big country music fan and certainly didn’t know squat about country music singers back in my college years. But one night I had a totally random, weird dream about Garth Brooks. I won’t go into all the juicy details of the dream, but I saved Garth’s life and he ended up professing his undying love to me. From that dream on, I have always loved Garth Brooks. He’s the only country music star I adore. Remember the Garth Brooks as Chris Gaines album? It’s one of my absolute favorites! Yes, I will forever be a fan of his, and rightly so since I’ve saved his life and he loves me so much! ;-)

And I’m sure you’re wondering about my connection with Brad Pitt. Well, I helped save his life, too. Back in my early 20s, like with Garth, I was not a huge fan of the super hot and famous actor. Sure, I thought he was good looking, but I wasn’t gaga over him like most of my friends. I was typically drawn to less mainstream celebrities, like Stephen Dorff and Jared Leto.  But one night I had this amazing, intricate dream about Brad Pitt. He had turned into a total bum walking the streets. With filthy, long hair and a beard, he was totally unrecognizable. In the dream, I helped who I thought was a troubled man who needed a bath and a meal. I took him home and the dream proceeded to move along like a full-on fabulous movie. I never felt scared or threatened by this strange, dirty man and even in my dream I kept thinking, what am I doing? He could be dangerous! But as I cleaned him up, he slowly became recognizable. He was Brad Pitt! He never said a word until the end of my dream. He was this human being who just wanted to be accepted for himself rather than his fame. It was so odd but so refreshing to help someone, and it certainly didn’t hurt that he ended up being Mr. Pitt!

Apparently, I get the vivid dreamer thing from my grandfather, my Pop, who was also a very vivid dreamer. So much so, that the rest of the family encouraged him to start keeping a dream journal. Every morning when he woke, he would write about the crazy dreams he remembered. One year my Mom and aunts even created a book of his writings, “Pop’s Dreams.” We all have a copy of it.  I should really take note and start keeping a journal of my dreams. Some I know I will never forget because they are so special and mean so much to me. After the death of my Pop and my grandmother, Lolli, I dreamt about them all the time, and I still do from time to time. I like to believe it’s their way of saying hello and letting me know they’re ok. It is so lovely to get those hugs in a dream from loved ones passed! When I dream of those who have gone to heaven, it is such a blessing to spend time with them! I don’t mind that I don’t understand how dreams work, I’m just happy see loved ones!

Sometimes, those dreams have a real purpose. After my Lolli passed away 13 years ago, I had a dream that I like to think helped save my life, or at least drastically improve my health. In my dream, my Lolli and I were chatting on an airplane – it felt as real as could be – and she randomly looked at me and said, “I’ll bet you $5 to never smoke another cigarette.” I looked at her and said, “WHAT???” Then she went on to explain to me that if I promised to never smoke a cigarette again for the rest of my life, that she would give me five dollars when I get to heaven. Now, I was never a full-on smoker by any means, but I did go through phases when I was younger in which I would do it casually in a social setting. But, eventually, I could’ve become full-on smoker. I was a sick child that got bronchitis a whole lot, so the last thing I need to do is smoke, so I like to think that this dream was Lolli’s way of helping to protect me. And I’m very proud to say, I’ve not smoked a cigarette since that dream and I don’t plan on it, either! By golly, I’m gonna get my five bucks from my Lolli when I go to heaven! ;-)

DreamsDreams are a wild wonder of life. Sometimes they’re frightening and tragic, other times they provide a lovely, welcome escape, or they’re a tell-tale sign of things going on in your life. I could write about dreams for days.  I’ve dreamt of ogres and hunchbacks, flying over the ocean, hanging out with childhood friends in one of my childhood homes, defeating a bad guy with Thor and the Hulk, having a pet monkey, and dancing on Broadway – and that was all just in this past week! No kidding! Yea, I really need to start a dream journal. I could seriously write a book.

Do you have any profound dreams that have touched your life in some way? One of those dreams you will absolutely never forget? Please do share! It is indeed a fascinating topic!